2 Armenian oppositionists charged with organizing unrest

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Two leaders of an Armenian opposition group have been charged with attempts to organize mass disorder.

The charges on Thursday came two days after police detained four members of the Founding Parliament opposition group. The Investigative Committee said weapons were found in the search of homes and offices that accompanied the detentions.

Group leader Jirair Sefilian and activist Varuzhan Aventisian would face sentences of up to 10 years if convicted on the charges.

Investigators said the detentions were aimed at preventing disorder allegedly planned for April 24, the day the country will mark the centennial of the mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks. Turkey denies the deaths constituted genocide, saying the toll is inflated and that those killed were victims of civil war and unrest.